WHO: Vaccinating kids 'not a high priority' amid shortage

The World Health Organization’s top vaccines expert says immunizing children against the coronavirus is not a high priority from a WHO perspective, given the extremely limited global supply of doses

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization’s top vaccines expert said Thursday that immunizing children against COVID-19 is not a high priority from a WHO perspective, given the extremely limited global supply of doses. During a social media session, Dr. Kate O’Brien said children should not be a focus of COVID-19 immunization programs even as increasing numbers of rich countries authorize their coronavirus shots for teenagers and children. “Children are at (a) very, very low risk of actually getting COVID disease,” said O'Brien, a pediatrician and director of the WHO's vaccines department. She said that the rationale for immunizing children was to stop transmission rather than to protect them from getting sick or dying. “When we’re in this really difficult place, as we are right now, where the supply of vaccine is insufficient for everybody around the world, immunizing kids is not a high priority right now.”